


The Brothers of War

by ViableSourceMaterial



Series: War, Peace, and Legends of Old [Chronological Order] [4]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Brothers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Horror, Canonical Child Abuse, Child Soldiers, Dragon!Yuri, Fluff, Gen, Medical Experimentation, Medical Torture, There are dogs and there are cats, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, What Have I Done, Yoko sometimes doesn't know how to mom, Yusho is a really bad father, Yuto and Yugo gave Yuya and Yuri their dragons, apparently the Professor, at least in this fic he does, don't hurt the boys, don't touch the child, dragon!Yuya, gotta incorporate the original plot in there somehow, help the boys, hints hints everywhere, little bit of Dragon!Yuya, pendulum summoning, people die, rawr Dragons, they need professional help, who kidnaps four year olds???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2018-09-11 11:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 13,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8977267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViableSourceMaterial/pseuds/ViableSourceMaterial
Summary: Yuya and Yuri, brothers, Academia escapees, and kidnapped at four years of age.





	1. Graduation Here Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thou hath been bettered, o' Page of Beginnings.  
> (So yeah, after Chapter 7 was done I stopped procrastinating and came back to fix my enormous continuity errors and plotholes I created.

*Years of off-screen (???) Child Abuse and Illegal Medical Experimentation on Children occurs*

Then, the Xyz Invasion started. Years later...

Yuya's deck didn't even have any Polymerization cards in it. Yuri's did, because it was the only thing he was good at. They were Academia escapees; disgusted at their own actions in battle.

Shun found the two battered and bruised teens laying in a small shelter constructed from rubble. Judging from their uniforms, Academia soldiers. He was about to grab them when one's eyelids fluttered. It was then Shun noticed how much this green-and-red haired kid resembles Yuto. And the other one did, too. Twins, perhaps, that had run away? Shun spotted the strange pendant the tomato-head had, a blue crystal wrapped by shining wings. The teen whispered, "No...." and Shun realized that these two looked awfully young to be wearing such high-rank symbolizing garb. The teen came to, and jerked back at Shun, shaking the other one awake. The other one woke up, looked over, and the two kids ran, clearly afraid of him.

...K'so. He called for some of his teammates to assist him so the kids didn't get away and run into some Obelisk Force soldiers. Dennis stepped in at the last moment, shock running across his face, presumably from their condition. Still, the kids pivoted and ran in a different direction. Tsukikage cut them off. At that point, they seemed to be surrounded. They turned on their duel disks, backs to each others' defensively. It was the tomato's turn first. He summoned Entermate Silver Claw and set one face down, ending his turn.  
The other one was up next, Shun was going to call him a cabbage, and he summoned Predaplant Cephalotus Snail, set one card face down, and ended his turn.  
Shun's turn. He summoned Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius and used it's effect to summon another Vanishing Lanius, using the effect to summon another Vanishing Lanius. He then Overlaid two Vanishing Laniae and Xyz Summoned Raidraptor - Rise Falcon.  
The turns came and went, neither moving to attack. It was as if one was surveying possible escape routes while the other was surveying methods of distracting their opponents. These two had cooperation skills, Shun would give them that. Then, the unthinkable happened.


	2. Tamashii no Pendulum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tomato got OERD on his field, and Cabbage got SV and CW.  
> Shun also knows what's going on.  
> He's the only one who knows.

Previously...

_Then, the unthinkable happened._

Presently...

With the Scale 3 Xiangke Magician and Scale 8 Xiangsheng Magician, Tomato set the Pendulum Scale. "Swing, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the aether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monsters! Level 4 Entermate Rakudown and... Appear now with your wondrous and dichromatic eyes, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Shun knew that card could only belong to one person. "I Overlay my Entermate Rakudown and Entermate Silver Claw. Fangs forged from pitch-black darkness, rise up against the foolish oppression! Descend now! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 4, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Shun shivered.  _"Two dragons in one turn..."_ "I activate the Xiangke Magician's Pendulum effect! I can grant one Xyz monster a level equal to it's rank. I grant Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon a Level of 4!"

"Giving an Xyz monster a level!?" Dennis exclaimed.

"Next, I activate Xiangsheng Magician's Pendulum effect! I can change one monster's level to match the level of another monster! I make Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon's level that of Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's; 7! Now, I Overlay Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Dragon of dual-colored eyes! Eradicate all enemies who oppose you with your scale of wrath! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 7! Dragon with eyes of rage! Supreme King Black Dragon - Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon!" He attacked Rise Falcon with Odd-Eyes Rebellion, reducing Shun's life points to 1100. Shun realized his mistake. Tomato ended his turn.

Yuri had a Predaplant deck, a Fusion deck. Pendulum, Xyz, and Fusion were a dangerous combo, so the other Lancers played monsters in Defense mode. They couldn't lose, because if they lost these kids would no doubt card them.

Shun did a thing and got Blaze Falcon onto his field. He attacked directly, decreasing Tomato's life points to 3000, then used Blaze Falcon's effect to reduce Tomato's life points further, to 2500. He ended his turn. It was Cabbage's turn now. "I activate the Spell Card: Fusion. I fuse Predaplant Cephalotus Snail and Predaplant Moray Nepenthes from my hand. Beautiful flowers that tempt insects with your enchanting fragrance, become one now, and let the hell locked within your petals give birth to a new menace! Fusion Summon! Come forth! The starving dragon bearing venomous fangs! Level 8! Starve Venom Fusion Dragon!" Starve Venom appeared on the field. He then summoned Predaplant Lilyzard, and used the Spell Card: Transcendental Fusion's secondary effect to resummon Cephalotus Snail as a tuner monster, then tuned the two. "Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings, and strike down our enemies at speed of light! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" Four dragons. They roared in unison and it was at that point that the boys seemed to suffer some pain, just a little, before their eyes snapped open, glowing with a strange light. They were surrounded with a strange dark aura. Shun recalled the legend passed down from long ago, the tale of the Ancient World and the Supreme Dragon King.


	3. Nananananananananananana YUTO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is brought to you by Batman
> 
> also  
> TW: Whiplash  
> TW: Torture  
> TW: Child Abuse

Skip ahead to 15 minutes later... The kids won, against all odds. They dueled ruthlessly, only focusing on attacking and with their high-attack dragons, they pounded the three Lancers into dirt.

The three Lancers accepted their fate, and prepared to be carded. Then, the light faded from the boys' eyes, and they collapsed. Shun caught the boys before they landed, and Dennis offered to take one while Tsukikage disappeared to inform Reiji.

Reiji informed Yuto first. As soon as he heard Reiji mention "Odd-Eyes" Yuto rushed off, a hopeful look in his eyes. Shun tried to go after him, but Reiji told him to let Yuto go. "It's the most hopeful we've seen him in years. Let him be."

Yuto rushed into the room, finding the two boys asleep. He silently cried tears of joy at seeing their faces for the first time in eight years. He hesitated, unwilling to disturb the peaceful atmosphere that had settled over the room, instead taking a seat in the chair next to the bed and watching them, thinking,  _"They still look peaceful, even after all those years..."_

* * *

 

 _Yuya dreamt of peace, of long-lost memories of a time before July 15th, 8 years ago. Of a time when everything changed. Of times spent with nii-sama, onii-san, Tou-san and Okaa-san. Of peace, of serenity, of happiness. Those fond memories were one of his only anchors within Academia. That, and Yuri. He knew that if he took all the punishment for Yuri's misbehavior, Yuri would be spared. But they decided taking out punishment on him was not enough. When he was sent back to Heartland for what felt like the millionth time, he returned to his and Yuri's shared room to find Yuri bleeding, beaten, battered, and bruised, laying on the floor and trembling in fear. He was so shocked. Shocked and so, **so**_ angry. _He went after the guards who beat up Yuri and defeated them swiftly, more and more taking their place. The Obelisk Force fell in waves, until Yuya had carded nearly the entire unit. Nobody dared step forward, nobody dared challenge the enraged young boy who had felled so many of their comrades so easily._

_The Professor had to intervene, and even then, Yuya didn't listen to reason. The Professor saw the strange light in Yuya's eyes and the dark aura rolling off him in waves, and thought of the legend of old. Even the Professor had trouble defeating Yuya, but he didn't card the boy. The soldiers inquired, and he responded, "Fools, the lot of you! Do you not recognize what we have just witnessed? We can harness this power! The boy is too valuable, prevent him from being carded at all costs. I shall not lose my weapon!" And with that he stormed off, leaving the guards to carry Yuya back to his room. Yuya awoke later, the memories of what he'd done coming back to him, and he screamed, his voice filled with pure horror and fear. However, to the Professor's ears, this sounded like a Dragon's roar, an intimidating war cry to rally troops and instill fear into their enemies. Oh, how he would **cherish** his new pet..._


	4. Academia: Abusing Children Since Arc-V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What have I done. Those four words just sum up the chapter. Also hinted/implied Dragon!Yuya.
> 
> TW: Medical Abuse  
> TW: Transformation  
> TW: Whiplash

_They had poked him, prodded him, and given every stimuli possible to discover what they could do to make him do that whenever they wished. Eventually, Roget found the solution in a small electromagnetic pulse chip planted on the inside of his visor. They found when you sent electric shocks to certain areas of the brain, it increased the subject's aggravation and aggression. However, over time he began to show side effects from the repeated shocks, and they were forced to find another method or risk damaging the Professor's favorite pet._

_That's when they discovered synchronization. They had stumbled upon it one day in battle when Yuri and Yuya were tag dueling in Heartland. The two synchronized, and they found that having them duel together and summon their dragons was practically doing all the work for them. The only problem was that whenever the boys entered that state, it was nearly impossible to snap them out of it during a duel. They dubbed the state "Awakening". The boys didn't remember the events that took place, and such they weren't even mentally scarred by it. Or so the scientists thought..._

_Yuya and Yuri were able to remember bits and pieces of what transpired when they were Awakened, but they were enough to scar the two. They didn't tell the White Coats, because then the White Coats would do more bad things to them and then they would make them do more bad things. They were just sick of all the **bad**._

_In the monitoring scans, levels of chemicals in the brain showed what emotions the boys were feeling, to a certain level. Due to the high amount of certain chemicals, the scientists were able to conclude that the main thought in the boys' brains was **bad** , not a specific definition of  **bad** , like "they were doing  **bad** things in Heartland" or "the White Coats did  **bad** things to them", but just a general, overwhelming presence of  **bad**. Fear, anger, sadness, hatred, and distrust were also prominent._

_Their arms were absolutely covered in bandages as the scientists injected them with a strange chemical, which the White Coats said would make them not have to remember the bad things, and the White Coats also said they were giving them "painkillers" and "tranquilizers", which they said would make them sleepy and dull the pain so they wouldn't have to feel it. They were thankful for that small mercy, and the scientists were grateful that they **could** offer this small mercy to the boys, who not only had to have once been shocked just to make them weapons, but then the scientists had to give them "gentle" stimuli to manipulate the boys, and then they had to give them daily injections which made them not remember things they did while Awakened, because the chemical interfered with the memories of their higher consciousness._

_Yuya thought of **that** day, when the White Coats gave him the burny stuff. They told him that because he was special, they were only going to give it to him, and because the "tranquilizer" interfered with the chemical they were going to give to him and made it worse, he was just going to have to endure the pain. They put leather restraints on his arms and legs._

_They injected him in the neck, and immediately it **burned**. He screamed, his voice full of pain and fear, and the Professor watched the procedure with psychopathic pleasure in seeing his  **pet** given a more fitting form. Yuya's eyes slitted, his pupils dilated, and his screams of pain turned into  **roars**_ _as his teeth sharpened and elongated slightly, his senses of hearing, sight, and smell heightened, and his fingertips were graced with sharp, retractable claws. A new world was opened up to him, and it burned. He almost broke free of the restraints as he almost **fully** Awakened. When all was said and done the scientists hastily covered their ears as he screamed in pain, and this time, he actually did sound like a proper Dragon. _


	5. They're Like Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yuya awoke from his medical abuse and torture-filled nightmare with the scream of a Banshee, waking up Yuri and arousing Yuto from his half-lidded slumber."
> 
> "Yuri heard Yuya say that and flopped over, looking at Yugo brightly, and a little apologetic, but Yugo's gaze only showed fondness and forgiveness. There was nothing to apologize for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, four chapters and I already got FOUR kudos! I didn't know you guys actually liked my stuff... *sweats nervously*  
> Also, feel free to comment what you think, I would greatly appreciate it!

Yuya awoke from his medical abuse and torture-filled nightmare with the scream of a Banshee, waking up Yuri and arousing Yuto from his half-lidded slumber. He was clutching his head and hyperventilating, dazed, confused, and frightened by the traumatizing events he had been forced to relive  _so many times._ Yuri tried shaking his brother awake, trying desperately to get Yuya to snap out of it, to stop it, to come back to him, it was  _scaring_ him.  _That_ got through to Yuya, as his breath slowed just a little, hitched, then quickened again as the pain intensified. Wisps of darkness began to roll off the boy, Yuri clutching ever tighter, and Yuto wishing he knew how to help, but Yuya had been taken at four, before he had ever Awakened. Yuto had first Awakened at seven, and Yugo at eight. There was something that set each of the boys off, and something that could calm them. Yuri seemed to know what to do, however, telling his brother that he was safe,  _they were safe, there was nothing to fear, nothing to be afraid of, they were fine, they weren't back there, there were no **White Coats**_ \- Yuto's breath hitched at hearing that one.  _White Coats_ could have been a lot of things, but from Academia's track record, it meant his brothers had been subjected to  _medical abuse_. He felt angry, then stopped himself, controlling his anger before he influenced Yuya any more. Yuya seemed to have calmed down, though his breathing was still a little quick from sheer terror and shock. Yuto couldn't begin to imagine what the child was dreaming of. Yuya backed away from the side of the bed where Yuto was, spotting him. Yuya curled up into a tight ball in one corner of the bed and Yuto felt so bad at the sight. Yuri had curled defensively around Yuya, his slitted ( _wait, slitted, Yuri didn't have **slitted** eyes, he didn't before...) _eyes glaring at Yuto. Yuto saw no recognition in those eyes, which shook him to the core. He stepped out and called Yugo, telling him that it was them, all right, but Yuya had a "bad dream" (Yugo understood what he meant) and they'd had enough for one night and they should leave the two alone.

* * *

Yuya whimpered softly, still in fear of  the vivid, horrible dream. Yuri purred soothingly, hoping to somehow calm his brother. Yuya had quieted, but still trembled. They spent the night like this, huddled in the corner of the bed.

* * *

Yuto had brought Yugo to come in and see them early the next morning. He hoped for Yugo to be able to see them sleeping peacefully.

They were still in the corner of the bed. Yuri had relaxed only slightly. Yugo's face just went blank, then sad at the sight. Yuto was at least glad that Yuya was no longer trembling with fear and terror at an abuse-filled nightmare. With the severity of the reaction, it must have been vivid, spanning a long time period, and been comprised of only the worst memories from said time period. Yugo approached quietly, but Yuri must have been half-awake, because his eyes opened slightly and he peered out curiously at Yugo, glaring, and closed his eyes again with a quiet huff. Yugo and Yuto stifled a giggle, before Yuya's eyes cracked open a little, seeing Yuto and Yugo on the other side of the room. He quietly told Yuri to let him go, just a little, and Yuri whispered back in a hushed voice. Yuto and Yugo couldn't hear what they were saying, but the two boys looked so young, fragile, and immature, 8 years of a normal childhood being robbed of them. Finally, Yuri gave in, and released Yuya from the sweetest and most protective of all brotherly hugs in existence, laying back down with a tired sigh, and allowed Yuya to sit up and stretch out a little. Yugo took a little step forward, and this time Yuri did not react, but Yuya tilted his head curiously. "Hey, Yuya, I'm Yugo. Do you remember me?" he asked, taking a seat on the other side of the bed and looking at his little brother fondly. Yuya responded quietly, "Onii-san..." his eyes alight with hope and joy at the touching reunion. Yuri heard Yuya say that and flopped over, looking at Yugo brightly, and a little apologetic, but Yugo's gaze only showed fondness and forgiveness. There was nothing to apologize for.

 

 


	6. Intermission: CATS CATS CATS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zarc is actually pretty fun to mess around with in different scenarios.  
> Such as the innocent guy who picks up like every stray in the neighborhood.  
> There's always one of those people in your neighborhood.  
> Unless you live in like remote Canada or smth  
> Then maybe not  
> -ViableSourceMaterial, Dec. 24 2016

"Zarc, you can't just keep bringing cats in, this is the sixth one!" Ray chided him.

"But where else are they supposed to go?" Zarc looked like an innocent child when he put on that face.

"Take it to the shelter, Zarc."

"We  _are_ the shelter, Ray. This is the island with the most strays, by a long shot, and yet nobody thinks to set up a legit shelter?"

"That is the most ironic thing I've heard you say in a long time."

"How is that more ironic than the definition of irony?"

"...Screw it, you win."

"Always do~"

"WAIT ZARC NO!"

" ** _Too late, Ray!_**   ** _I have already become a demon!_** "

Then the world imploded and stuff. Everybody died and lived happily ever after

Oh yeah, none of that was canon at all, just gave you a brief intermission from the medical torture and child abuse to bring you a ZarcRay drabble. Hope you enjoy!


	7. We Now Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Hug Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pure fluff, intermission round two. But this one's actually canon, so it's really just an intermission before we take a nosedive straight into my trademark. If you went and checked out The Third Child on FanFiction like I directed you to you would probably know what my trademark is. But for those who didn't see it or don't understand... *grins evilly* I have a very wonderful surprise for you...  
> Enjoy your counterpartshipping while it lasts, suckers...   
> (Oh and to people who know what's coming... Congrats! You win a pickle.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support, these chapters take a little bit to write. Because of my writing method, I usually add like 5-9 short chapters a day to things, all written back-to-back so I never forget what details I come up with. So due to that, chapters may seem rushed and the pacing may be a bit off. Don't hesitate to correct me, constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated.

Yugo welcomed Yuya and Yuri into his arms, smiling fondly, blue eyes filled with joy and fondness. Yuya's crimson eyes welled with tears of joy while Yuri's violet ones were filled with happiness. Yugo beckoned for Yuto, who was already in the process of coming over there. They hugged it out for a good long while, just holding each other and reveling in the joy of reunion after such a long time. Everything was okay now... Or so they thought.

Yusho went after the Professor, aided by Reiji. Some of the new staff were talking about it while Yuya was in earshot.  _Bad move._ He cried, a lot, remembering everything. He knew dad was going to get carded... He told Yuto that only he had been able to provide any challenge for the Professor, and Yuto asked how he knew that. Yuya went rigid, winced, and began to speak. "E-Every time Yuri misbehaved, I took the punishment for him. I wanted him to be spared of any pain. One day, they decided that me taking all the p-punishment for him would never allow him to learn... they b-beat him and b-b-broke his a-arm and c-cut him a-a-a-and-" He stopped himself quickly. "I-I was really really angry, and th-that was the first t-time I A-Awakened..." He hung his head, tears welling in his eyes, his voice filled with deep regret, "I-I carded a-all of them, Yuto..."

"All of who, Yuya?"

"A-All of the O-Obelisk Force... A-All of them e-except a handful of men..."

"What happened then? Did you get punished for it?" He hated to pry, but he needed answers.

"N-No... they were all afraid to duel me. T-Th-they didn't wanna get carded too... the P-Professor... h-he- he stepped in and I-I-I d-don't r-r-rem-ember w-what happened th-then... But what I do know is that it was hard for him to beat me... Th-that's w-when...  ** _i-it started..._** " Yuya's voice took on every negative emotion at once, sounding suspiciously like a certain influential character's... Yuto ignored that, and decided not to question what "it" was. It wasn't his place, and he'd had enough crying for a lifetime from Mom after Yusho left. "Yuya, that was really brave of you."

"R-Really...?"

"Yeah. You didn't have to stand up for Yuri, but you did. You didn't have to duel the Professor, but you did. Heck, you didn't have to tell me this, but you did. I'm proud. Say, how about I take you and Yuri out for some ice cream?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"C'mon, you didn't sound very enthusiastic..."

"Y-Y-Yeah-!"

"Better, better. But I think you can put even more into it...."

"Y-Yeah!"

"There we go. Now, let's go get that ice cream." He beckoned for Yuri, who was sitting on the bed, probably recalling his own version of the events.


	8. Rain, Rain, Go Away. Rain, Rain, Sunny Day.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It rains. They have phobias. Yuto realizes that sometimes, you can't solve every problem. Good life lessons, everyone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I take a second to recognize the INSANITY that is that bottom screen down there? Seriously, guys come on, you must be hacking the data. 6 KUDOS!? That is INSANE for me. Thanks, everyone. Here, take your scared crying children you seem to like so much. Freaky sadists...

They got ice cream. They got family bonding. They got reunions.

_They got to go home._

Yoko used her Space-Time warping powers to hug all of them at once, either that or the fact that Yoko has long arms. (I find the former funnier, however...)

Now, in the safety and the comfort of their old home...

The boys felt alien. Unwanted.  _Unwelcome._ It had been so long. Was this really the same place it was 8 years ago? Of course not. So as soon as the two needed a break, they were able to go to their room. They curled up together, not on the bed, not on the floor, but  _under_ the bed. And nobody could explain it, because nobody found them. At least, not until they looked. Because of Academia's track record, and the fact that the term  _White Coats_ was now engraved into the two boys' minds as something to  _fear,_ something that causes  _pain,_ Yuto figured the boys would have developed some pretty severe phobias. Yuto was also worried there would be always be a new, different phobia they wouldn't know about earlier and therefore not be able to prevent an object they feared from coming into the boys' life.

_They were right._

The first time they discovered a phobia was when Yuto and Yugo were with the boys playing Uno on the floor of the boys' room. Yuya had a blanket, and put it over Yuri's face while he was posing victoriously after winning 4 rounds in a row. Then, a crack of thunder sounded while Yugo and Yuto had gotten up to look at the stormy clouds that had gathered. A muffled scream followed by a soft  _thud_ was heard from where the boys  _were._ They had retreated under the bed again, obviously in fear of the thunder. Yuto leaned down, trying to coax them to come out and tell them what was wrong. Or at the very least, try to figure out exactly  _what_ was scaring them. He tried to reason with them. "What's wrong?" he said gently.

Yuya clutched his head. "I...we- s-sh-shocks-...I-It hurt..!" Yuri was silent but trembling. Yuto could see the fear and pain in their still strangely-slitted eyes (At this point, Yuto wasn't even going to question it, they had bigger problems). After a long while, and in that time Yuto had joined him in trying to get the two to come out, they managed to calm the boys down, not questioning it. Let them calm down before they had to remember, that would  _surely_ help, right?  _Right...?_


	9. Boys, use Roar! (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember when in Chapter Four, the scientists told Yuya that they were only giving he burny stuff to him? They lied. :)  
> Also things happen and apparently Yugo knows how to bake. Yeah... he drops the spoon when said things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever.
> 
> Just Merry Zarcmas, Yugioh fandom!

They had managed to calm the boys down enough to come out from under the bed, although Yuri hit his head while getting out and hissed in pain. Yuto thought of their actions, the fact that the boys both had nail files, which must have come from Mom's cosmetic bag. Why would they need nail files, unless- no, Yuto hoped with all his heart that that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, the evidence was all there; dilated pupils, strangely bestial noises, sharp nails that seemed to grow abnormally quickly, and the one Yuto had only seen once- the flash of fang underneath Yuya's lip when he smiled. He was sure that it was a slip-up on Yuya's part, because even if Yuto was his trustworthy brother, genetic experimation, which he was probably fully awake for, is never something you  _ever_ want to remember. However, there was no hiding the fact that eventually the truth would have to come out. Until that happened, though, Yuto would at least try to make sure the boys never had to remember anything they didn't want to, but with their prominent nightmare-induced insomnia, it was becoming increasingly difficult.

(Like 3 days later or smth) 

That one fateful morning, Yuya was just sitting on the bed, then he went rigid, eyes wide. The boys were alone in the room. Yuri didn't know what was wrong, Yuya had just frozen. He ran off to find Yuto, and brought him in by the arm. Yuya was still frozen, a faraway look in his eyes as if he was concentrating on something outside, something nobody else could see. Yuto raised a hand in front of his face, trying to draw him out of his stupor, to no avail. Suddenly, he doubled over in pain. Yuto and Yuri felt it too, and in the kitchen Yugo's eyes widened as he knelt, clutching at his chest, the wooden spoon and metal bowl clattering to the floor. Yoko heard the sound, and came in, confused, worried, and concerned about the noise. Yuto doesn't normally drop things, he's... _good_ about that. Yuya and Yuri both knew what this felt like, but Yuto and Yugo had never felt this before.  _They were beginning to synchronize. Yoko had only had to deal with synchronization twice before, it was usually Yusho's job. It only happened not very often, and they had managed to restrain the two before anything was damaged. Now, it was four against one, not two versus two._ Yoko tried to help Yuto up, and although his eyes were glowing, he wasn't gone yet. He stopped himself. "One down," she said. She went towards Yuya and Yuri's room. At best, the boys had encountered a trigger of some kind, and been set off. That was easy, just offer comfort, safety, and the knowledge that they were safe and everything was okay, while Yuto managed to calm himself down so as to not influence the boys further with his own emotions. At worst, all three of the boys had already Awakened and she would have to call in Shuzo, and maybe Yuzu. She would not get Yugo involved more, it would only make the problem worse; this she had learned from the times they had to deal with Yuto by himself. This was a problem, Shuzo had originally thought they were possessed, but Yusho somehow  _knew_ that wasn't the case. She couldn't quite put her finger on it as to how he had known what was wrong. He had held Yuto down against the bed until he passed out from some unknown strain. They had placed him on the couch, and when Yugo came home from school, they asked him if he knew anything. He smiled and said he would talk to Yuto later. He always did, always put on that same sympathetic and understanding smile, like he knew everything that was going on all the time. It seemed to infuriate the kids at school, made them think he was a know-it-all, but he always put on that smile, and never responded harshly to anything anyone said.


	10. Boys, Use Roar! (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuya growls. Yoko questions this, but only in her mind, because when your child is having a panic attack while being pinned down by your other child, would you be willing to say it out loud?

She opened the door, prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best. What she saw was... ...Yuto pinning down a struggling, Awakened Yuya while Yuri was just very, very scared. He was afraid of being punished, because after that little incident, whenever Yuya went Berserk on their own allies (and not during a battle) the soldiers, ordered to let no harm come to the Professor's favorite pet, took it out on Yuri instead, because once Yuya saw Yuri in that state, wounded and terrified, he snapped back into line. He hated it many times more when Yuya had to be there for the punishing, those times were because Yuya had done something  _really_ bad. Yuto glanced up at Yoko, silently willing for her to understand. She did, and slowly approached Yuri, as if to show she meant no harm. He curled up into a ball and was completely still, as if... as if  _prepared for Yoko to strike him._ She came closer, her hands outstretched, not realizing the implications of Yuri's actions.

Yuya, witnessing Yuri  ~~about to be punished~~  approached by Yoko, began to Awaken one step further, struggling harder and harder to escape from ~~the soldier's~~  Yuto's grip, but Yuto held firm. He did the best he could to convey his thoughts toward Yoko, but she simply didn't understand. He so poorly wished they had Yugo in here, with his uncanny ability to read expressions and body language, but at the same time he knew that would only make it worse. With how they were thinking, it would lessen their trust in their brothers, and that wasn't something Yuto was willing to let happen. He applied more pressure, willing Yuya to snap out of it.  _Wrong move._ Yuya, feeling Yuto's hands dig into his wrists, began to thrash violently, a low growl emanating from his lips. Yoko paused.  _"Did Yuya just... growl?"_ She had no time to react as Yuri seemed to make the situation much, much worse just then, lunging towards Yuto and knocking him off, then pinning Yuya down himself. Yuri and Yuya held eye contact for long moments that seemed to last forever, until Yuya began to calm down upon seeing the pain in his brother's eyes. However, Yuri kept him pinned. Yuto tried to get him to release Yuya, and Yuri responded, "Not yet, not yet, he's not all the way calmed down, not yet..." he trailed off, bringing his focus back to Yuya, whose eyes had that faraway look again, but Yuto could tell Yuya was fighting an internal battle. And Yuya was winning. He eventually snapped back to reality, eyes locking with Yuri's once again. No words were spoken, but the emotions Yuya saw in Yuri's eyes were enough to tell Yuya everything that had transpired. "I'm sorry..." Yuya mouthed.

* * *

Yuri had released Yuya after that, not allowing Yuya to sit up. Instead, he immediately pinned Yuya onto the bed with a hug. Yuya tried to get Yuri off him, then gave up trying and wrapped his arms around Yuri's back, accepting said hug. Yuto smiled.

Yugo had come in later, brought in by Yuto. By this time Yoko had evacuated the premises (her words, not Yuto's). The four talked long into the night, long after Yoko had gone to sleep.

"Yuya, what happened?" Yugo began.

"I-I felt Dad activate the terminal..." Neither Yuto nor Yugo knew what he was referring to, but Yuri gasped and said, "How did you know it was him?"

"Remember how there's the fingerprint scan...?" Yuri nodded. "...He was granted access." That one line, that  _one line_ , revealed everything. And Yuri just- stopped. His face went blank, all color drained from his face, and his violet eyes widened. He whispered "No..." under his breath. Yuya caught it. "H-He knew, he knew, that's why he held Yuto down, he wasn't civil about it, he knew he knew  _he knew he **knew**_ -" Yuto stopped him before he got angry and either had a panic attack or Awakened. "He knew  _what_?"

Yuya began. "He knew what they did to us- he didn't see us, he avoided our eyes, he knew what-" He stopped himself, almost afraid to tell anyone. "He knew what happened, he must have known, otherwise why would he act as if he regretted us-" Yuya's eyes widened, and he said, that "certain character"'s voice returning, **_"His fault."_**

"Yuya, what-" Yuto was cut off by a frantic Yuri. "Yuya, he... he did it. He must have, how else would he be able to, he had to have done it..." Yuri's voice was shaky.

"What did he do?" Yuto finally got the chance to ask.

"H-He... he did it, he did  ** _it_**..." Yuya said, and Yuto finally understood the connection between all the fear, all their panic, and that one word; it. In this situation, the word "It" was referring to an event, one that Yuya and Yuri seemed to have figured out was caused by their father. And not just any event, one that left them scarred. None of the four boys slept very much that night.

 


	11. The Mysterious "Royal Guard" Duelist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuto and Yugo take Yuya and Yuri to a therapist. Also some juicy tidbits of Yusho's and Reiji's adventures in Academia. Featuring an all new character, the mysterious user of the unheard of "Royal Guard" set!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the Royal Guard set is literally "monsters" from Undertale. Hey, don't judge, I use it because it works. Besides, I'm taking inspiration from Undercards. Check it out if you haven't already, it's a great game.

They arrived at the pyschologist's office, coming in. Yuto went up to the front counter to confirm their appointment while Yugo sat down with Yuya and Yuri. Yuto returned some time later with a clipboard and pencil, offering the simple explanation "Info for the doctor." Yuya and Yuri were hugging again, though this time Yuya had hooked his arm around Yugo's and was pulling him into said hug. After a while, the receptionist called them in.

The room was welcoming and cozy, with library shelf wallpaper and black carpet intermixed with some orange dots. A fake fireplace rested on the right wall, emitting heat. There were couches and chairs here, and a coffee table inside the circle of furniture. The psychologist was seated in one of the chairs, holding the clipboard Yuto had given to the receptionist earlier. Beside the chair was a stunningly realistic dog statue, painted and everything. It looked so real, Yuya wanted to reach out and check to make sure it wasn't. The doctor began, speaking in a thick baritone voice, "Hello, boys. Which one of you is Yuya?"

"Me!" Yuya chirped in a sing-song voice.

"Ah, enthusiastic, are we? Well, hello there. Can you introduce me to your brothers?"

Yuya introduced them. After that he asked, "Can I touch the dog statue?"

"Of course you can, my boy. But I must warn you, it is no statue. It is in fact..." the doctor trailed off, using the suspense method he'd seen used by other professionals on children, "the legendary Licker!" He said "Licker" like he was calling a dog. In fact, he finished the sentence right when Yuya's hand was right in front of the dog's mouth. The dog's mouth opened, licking Yuya's hand. Yuto tried his best to stifle a giggle.

* * *

_Yusho and Reiji, having defeated all the guards stationed throughout the Medical Wing, went through the rooms one by one to find any clues that would allow them to solve the mystery that was Akaba Leo's plan. But first, Yusho decided they should stop at the Medical Wing to hopefully discover something about what happened to his sons. What they found... was something so ~~incriminating~~ horrifying that Yusho had immediately accessed the terminal of the nearest computer and began a datawipe. He said he would be able to remember everything deleted, and there would definitely be more. He left no  ~~evidence~~ data behind. Little did he know, he had just Awakened his son due to precautionary measures. The scientists had prepared for an attempted datawipe of Yuya's medical records by implanting a microchip within Yuya's brain that would cause him to Awaken. They would then send a signal through using the invisible chemical released from the keypad when the intruder attempted to wipe the data. The data would be copied dozens of times and placed on multiple layers of protection. However, they never anticipated this scenario. After wiping all the data on the terminals, Yusho rushed off, Reiji in tow, to confront the Professor. Little did they know, the two had gained some unknown help. A group of soldiers, 50 strong, had confronted them, unified in deck, strategy, and uniform. A figure in a white knee-length coat had stepped in between them and the soldiers, activating their duel disk, a white curved line with a dragon's head on the far right. They called out, the voice feminine, "Boku no turn!" They drew, and grinned. "I summon Royal Guard Dogaressa [ATK-1800 DEF-1500 Lv:4] and activate it's effect. When this monster is summoned, I can Special Summon one Royal Guard Dogamy from my deck. [ATK-1800 DEF-1500 Lv:4] I activate Dogaressa's secondary effect! When both it and Royal Guard Dogamy are on the field, I can raise both their Attack Points by 500! [Dogamy ATK-1800>2300] [Dogaressa ATK-1800>2300] Secondly, when both Dogamy's and Dogaressa's Attack Points are greater than 2000, I can Special Summon the Tuner Monster Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus! [ATK-1700 DEF-2300 Lv:4] I activate Sentry Papyrus' effect! When this card is Special Summoned through Dogamy and Dogaressa's chain effect, I can add one Annoying Dog from my deck to my hand. I then set one card and end my turn." Yusho was stunned. She had summoned a Tuner monster and yet not performed a Synchro Summon? She also didn't look like she was from the Synchro Dimension. Why would she so conveniently save them like that?_

 

_The soldiers only fought three at a time. The first soldier summoned Ancient Gear Hunting Hound [ATK-1000 DEF-1000 Lv:3] and inflicted 600 damage to the duelist, then ended their turn. [Duelist LP-4000 >3400] The other two soldiers pulled the same move. [Duelist LP-3400>2800>2200] The duelist just took the damage like it was nothing. Yusho started to wonder if the duelist was pulling a Phantom Knights, because he had never heard of any "Royal Guard" sets before, and while Dogaressa and Dogamy seemed like a good combonation, summoning a Tuner Monster and not starting a Synchro Summon seemed slightly suspect. However, this Royal Guard deck had quite a few more secrets, as Yusho was about to find out._


	12. Skeletal Blaster Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get teasers for this mysterious Duelist's ace monster. Also we find out who this duelist is, and where they came from.

_"Boku no turn!" the duelist called. "I summon Royal Guard Lesser Dog in Attack Mode! [ATK-1300 DEF-2300 Lv:4]" "Why are you summoning a high-defense monster in attack mode, baka?" one of the soldiers sneered._

_"I activate Lesser Dog's effect! When this card is summoned in Attack Mode, I can draw 3 cards. If at least one of these cards is a Level 5 or higher monster, I can Special Summon it, ignoring it's summoning conditions!" she drew, looked at her cards, and smirked. "Lucky me! I just happened to draw a Level 10 monster..." she trailed off for suspense, "Heavenly dragon, ruler of the skies above! Descend now and smite those who oppose your divine grace! Slifer the Sky Dragon! Since I have 6 cards in my hand, Slifer's attack becomes 6000! Battle! Slifer the Sky Dragon, attack Ancient Gear Hunting Hound! Wrath of the Heavens!" Ancient Gear Hunting Hound was destroyed, the soldier suffered 5000 damage, and they were defeated. Another one of the soldiers behind them carded the defeated soldier before joining the duel, suffering the 2000 LP intrusion penalty. "I attack directly with Dogaressa!" The soldier fell to 0 LP._ _"I attack Hunting Hound with Dogamy!" Another soldier, one from the beginning, fell to 2700 LP. "I attack directly with Sentry Papyrus!" The soldier she attacked earlier fell to 1000 LP. "I attack directly with Lesser Dog!" They were defeated. She smirked and said, "I set one card face down and end my turn."_

_"My turn!" the soldier who had just joined summoned Ancient Gear Hunting Hound and did nothing else. The other two ended their turns without doing anything. Bringing out a god card on the second turn... this duelist was extremely skilled. The Obelisk Force's dogs were nothing against these strong monsters. The Professor, safely in the other room, watched the duel play out, fascinated in the way his soldiers were surely going to be defeated._

_"Boku no turn! I Tune my Level 4 Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus and Level 4 Royal Guard Lesser Dog! Skeletal canine created for destruction! Relentless in your objective, bring devastation upon all who oppose you with your deadly fangs! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Come forth! Skeletal Blaster Dragon!" A mighty skeletal beast appeared. [Skeletal Blaster Dragon ATK-3200 DEF-2300 Lv:8] I activate Skeletal Blaster Dragon's effect! If this card was Synchro Summoned using Sentry Papyrus, I can double the Defense Points of the other monster used to summon it and deal that amount to my opponent! Lesser Dog's Defense Points were 2300! That means I can deal 4600 damage to any of you! I choose this man!" she pointed towards the third soldier, the only one left from the first turn. He fell and was defeated. "I activate the other effect of Skeletal Blaster Dragon! If this monster was Synchro Summoned using two Royal Guard monsters, I can attack twice! Battle! I attack directly with Skeletal Blaster Dragon! Devastating Burst!" the soldier fell. "She turned to the second soldier. "Skeletal Blaster Dragon, attack directly! Devastating Burst!" Another one. "I attack directly with Dogaressa!" The soldier fell. Another one stepped in. "Dogamy, attack directly!" Gone. "I activate the Tag Spell: Match Met! It allows me to tag every opponent whose life points are under 3000 and, if I am the only one with monsters on the field, deal damage to each of them equal to the attack of the monster with the lowest Attack on my field!" She dealt 2300 damage to each of them, defeating them all. Three more stepped forward. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Rewound Time! It allows me to play the Spell or Trap used last once again!" Three more fell. "I end my turn." Leo watched with sadistic fascination, as he just found a new pet, whose skills may even surpass his previous one. That unheard of combo would do well, and by using Synchro, they would make the perfect spy. Besides, they didn't even flinch at the soldiers carding thier own comrades. With this constant combo going, she could eliminate enemies faster and more effectively than his two previous pets ever could._

_Eventually, the duelist defeated all of them, the last one carding himself. She helped Yusho and Reiji up, not even sparing a glance at the pile of cards that had amassed on the floor. "Why did you defeat them all like that?" Reiji asked.  
_

_"I don't know what you're talking about." Was she being modest?_

_"You do know. I've never seen that set before, and it was absolutely devastating. Did you come from the Synchro Dimension?"_

_"No."_

_"Then, where **did**_ _you come from? A secret fifth dimension we've never seen before?" She said nothing, just stalked down the hall in the direction she came, leaving Yusho and Reiji on a suspenseful moment and grasping for straws._


	13. Ding Dong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a successful trip to the psychologist (and lots of hugging dogs) a strange woman in a white coat brings news of Yusho and Yuya.

The doorbell rang, and Yoko answered to find a woman in a knee-length white coat with the hood up, obscuring her face except for her mouth. "Hello, are you Sakaki Yoko?"

"Yes, this is she."

"Nice to meet you, Sakaki-dono. I am Verdana." The woman extended her hand, and Yoko took it. They shook firmly.

"Why are you here?" she asked politely.

"I bring news of your husband, Sakaki Yusho, and information regarding your sons."

"Where did you get this?"she asked.

"Earlier this week, I was conducting a raid on Academia when your husband started his own. I followed him, and witnessed him attempting to erase medical records and data involving your son Yuya. He tried to clear every terminal. I suspect Yuya Awakened later...?"

"Yes, yes he did. Why do you ask?"

"I went undercover as a scientist for Academia, and I learned of some very...  _dangerous,_ and harmful projects that they were conducting on your sons. They implanted a microchip in his brain that would trigger him and cause him to Awaken in case of intruders. So when Yusho attempted to wipe the data-"

"-It caused the chip to go off, and Yuya Awakened because of that?" She pieced it together for herself.

"Yes. In addition to this, they planted an electronic shocking device on the inside of your son's visor, which, in the area of the shocks, would cause increased agitation and aggression. However, they canceled the project once Yuya began to show side effects of repeated shocks." The woman showed no emotion, as if she was immune to this information. Either that, or she was just extremely good at hiding her emotions. She sincerely hoped the latter was true. Apathetic people tended to not understand how information would make people feel. "From there, they did nothing else to your sons. At least, nothing I would ever like you to know." Oh, okay, this woman was just withholding her emotions so they didn't affect Yoko. And she was looking out for Yoko's emotional well-being, which was a plus.

After she was finished delivering news, the woman thanked Yoko for her understanding and patience, and left. 


	14. Stargazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is an old superstition that states the cosmos tell of universal events; look to the skies and read your future as you do the constellations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arc 1 End.

Yuya and Yuri went out late one night stargazing, with permission of course.

Little did they know, two figures had snuck up on them, and came at them. They pressed strange-smelling cloths over the boys' mouths, and the boys willed themselves not to inhale, but their throats were in a vice grip and soon their bodies inhaled for them. They left a note for the family to find before taking their leave, prize in hand.

"Thank you for bringing the boys to me. You have left the note, I presume?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" The two men shouted, saluting the Professor, glorious leader of Academia. He had his pets back, now all that was left to do was to get that woman and make her his pet also. He immediately sent the two boys off to the Medical Wing, they needed re-evaluations for their physicals and cognitive abilities, as well as see how far gone they had been twisted by those evil people who kept them from him. Who kept his pets from him and twisted them. He would need them to bend to his will once again.

Yuya had woken up right as they injected the experimental serum. It would enhance the previous serum slightly, boosting its effects further. Further and further away from being a normal human. He roared again, nothing seemed to be changing, except that his teeth were slightly longer, his legs more powerful, and his claws had extended just a bit further. They didn't know how the boys' bodies would react to the serum, but all was proceeding well.

Yuri's turn next. The same effects, only his eyes, his slitted, beautiful, captivating violet eyes, were filled with flecks of emerald. Leo thought it made him all the more beautiful.

They didn't know what the effects of the enhanced bestial physical form would have on their behavior, so they locked them up in a cell together instead of sending them to their room. The boys had used some of the time to adjust to their longer fangs and claws, and were given nail files to ensure their claws, if they were not able to retract and conceal them effectively now, could be concealed by filing the sharp points down to a flat edge to give the appearance of regular nails.

Speaking of behavior, they were slightly cold, the holding areas were slightly colder than the rest of the facility. But other than that, they were the same, save for a few hisses of pain every now and then, and a few clicks of teeth in the back of their mouths as they adjusted to forming the complex sounds of language with these slightly elongated teeth.

Yuto went to get them in case they fell asleep up on the hill, and the car keys clattered to the ground as he spotted the note. His legs no longer supported him, and he crinkled the note in his hand as he sobbed atop the stargazing hill at sunrise, his tears shining with the orange light of daybreak.

* * *

Arc 1-Return

**_END_ **

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arc 2 is beginning in Chapter 15, stay tuned for more!


	15. Morning Dew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning dew is believed by some to reflect the innermost feelings of whoever looks into the droplets.

As soon as Yuto arrived home, dried tear stains on his face, and collapsed on the couch, having just given up, Yugo and Yoko had no trouble prying the note from his hand. As soon as Yugo took one look at it, a shadow aura began to build around him. His anger was so great he had already Awakened, slightly. Yuto knew this, but didn't care. Right now, he just felt helpless knowing if he'd just gone with them, none of this would have happened, and if they even managed to get the boys back this time, it would probably be too late to save them.

Yoko read the note.

_To the family of Sakaki Yuya and Sakaki Yuri,_

_We of the Academia have reclaimed your sons/brothers. You will not see them again, unless you join our ranks and bend to our will. If you misbehave at all, they will be punished for it. If you make an unsuccessful attempt at trying to reclaim them, you will never get to see them again. If you attempt to fight back, we will undoubtedly card you. Do not attempt to reclaim what is rightfully ours._

_Regards,_

_Academia_

It infuriated her. It  _enraged_ her. She would not let her sons be taken again. Sure, she herself might not be able to duel, but they had found out from Yuya that only the Professor put up any match when he Awakened against them. How would Academia fare against  _two_ more mature and more capable Awakened boys? She didn't know, but if Yusho was also in Academia, it would come in handy. She grabbed Yugo on the shoulder and told him to calm down, make Yuto stop being so pessimistic, stop Awakening enough so that she wouldn't have to worry while they were on the way. Yoko grabbed her phone and made a quick call to Akaba Himika. They were following Reiji and going to get Yuya and Yuri back. And by God, Himika agreed. Even if Himika was a shady con artist/businesswoman, she would not tolerate any crimes that involved innocent children robbed from their families. She flew them over to Academia in a  _helicopter._ A multi-dimensional  _helicopter._ There, they began to formulate a strategy. They would meet up with Yusho and Reiji, inform them of the situation, get the boys back, then kick Leo's ass, all in time for dinner.

At the last moment, Verdana showed up, informing them of the location of both the boys and Reiji and Yusho. She had already informed the boys that Yugo and Yuto were coming to get them. She flipped down the hood, revealing herself at last.

She was a ginger with heterochromia; a blue left eye and a red right one. Verdana's eyes reminded Yoko of Yuya's dragon; Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. As soon as they stepped in the corridor, Verdana assessed which doors were open and which were closed, picked a route, and sprinted. She was off. Now, with the boys' location and Reiji and Yusho hanging out in the Medical Wing, waiting for their arrival, they began their takeback raid.


	16. The Dragons' Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Can I do the honors?" Yuto and Yugo looked at Yuya in horror while Yuri grinned and seemed to agree.

Yusho approached the cell where Yuya and Yuri were being kept. "Oh, boys... what have my mistakes led to..." he said, upon seeing them.

Yuri hissed, showing hostility, while Yuya bared his fangs at the man they called their father. "Now, why are you being so hostile? I didn't do this to you..."

 ** _"Your fault,"_** they growled in unison, and suddenly he understood.

"My fault for what?" he feigned ignorance.

They said nothing, as if warning him to confess or face the consequences. "So, you blame me for something I had no part in?"

Suddenly, the gate swung open, Yuya lunging at him with a speed he's never seen. He swiped at Yusho, drawing blood. A low snarl emanated from the back of his throat. Yuri rose to join him. They advanced on him, backing him into a corner. "Alright! Alright! I did it! Just please, don't hurt me! PLEASE!!!" Yusho's cry rang in their heads and caused an old memory to resurface, one of crowds of people screaming "please!" as a desperate plea for the soldiers not to hurt them, not to kill them, they don't want to die-. This angered the two further, as they saw him as undeserving of mercy.

And suddenly, a saving grace arrived in the form of Yuto and Yugo, drawing Yuya and Yuri's attention from Yusho for just a split second. And that split second was all it took for Yusho to wrap his arm around Yuya and Yuri's necks, putting them into a chokehold. Their claws scrabbled against Yusho's duel disk, trying and failing to find purchase on the polished metal. Suddenly, Yuya whipped his head around, sinking his teeth into Yusho's bicep, causing him to release the two. Yuya spat Yusho's blood out of his mouth and looked up at Yuto and Yugo, flashing them a very evil, twisted, and toothy grin, saying,  **"Can I do the honors?"** Yuto and Yugo looked at him in horror while Yuri grinned and seemed to agree. Yusho didn't say anything, as he wanted as much time as possible to silently pray for forgiveness. Yuto was hesitant to try and stop Yuya, because they had just seen him ask to murder their father after backing him into a corner, being put into a chokehold, and sinking his teeth into Yusho's arm to escape it. He really didn't want that aimed at him. Yugo, however, had a different mindset, as he cracked his knuckles and responded,  **"There's no way I'm letting you hog all the fun for yourself."** Great, now it was three against one (and a half). Yusho only counted as a half, because he didn't have much in the way of defense against Dragon!Kids. While as good as he was with dealing with them while they were Awakened, the Dragons' control could usually only be broken by one of their own. If this kept up for much longer, the Dragons' grip on his brothers would tighten. He would have to deal with them quickly, only welcoming as much of Dark Rebellion's soul into himself as he could without surrendering partial control to Dark Rebellion. Just enough to give him the strength he needed. He surveyed his options. Clear Wing's ability would make Yugo hard to corner; Clear Wing was probably the fastest out of the four of them. Starve Venom would lace Yuri's fingers with poison, he couldn't let Yuri scratch him, otherwise he'd need to rely more and more on the Dragon. Odd-Eyes was tough to beat; Yuya's senses were the most heightened out of all of them. Within a matter of milliseconds Yuya would be able to predict all of Yuto's moves exactly. However, he decided to take out Yuri first; Yuri's poison claws needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

He cornered Yuri, closing him off, and getting a few quick scratches in on Yuri's arms. This would make it harder for Yuri to slash at him; however he needed to be very careful not to damage Yuri too seriously; he couldn't utilize his Dragon's power to its full potential yet, or rather he hadn't learned to. It would be harder for him to heal. So he scratched at Yuri's hands, disabling them, and knocking Yuri back. Now Yuri seemed to be having an internal battle as he just stood there, legs wavering. One down.


	17. Skeletal Blaster Dragon (Round 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Verdana introduces 3 new Royal Guard Monsters, and uses a Scale 10 10-Sided Pendulum Dice.

One down, two left. Yuto feigned right, heading towards Yuya, arm outstretched, before pivoting on his heel and rushing Yugo. He didn't have time to block. Yugo went down, eyes glittering, alight with icy-blue light. He wasn't under Clear Wing's spell, and still Awakened. Even better. It meant he would team with Yuto to take Yuya down, and once that happened, Yugo would be the one to extract the truth from Yusho. The  _whole_ truth.

Yuya didn't take that long. They rushed him together, he blocked and countered with an up-right diagonal slash. They blocked this and shoved him down. He fell right on top of Yuri, and they both collapsed in a lump of still-strangely-Dragony 12-year-olds. Yugo would ask them later. But for now... he looked towards Yuto, who gave him a nod of confirmation. He bent down and offered his hand for Yusho to take. "Now, we're going to take you to the rest of the group, and we're gonna patch up your arm, but in front of everyone, you're going to give us the truth. The  _whole_ truth, and leave nothing out. Understand?" Yusho nodded weakly before accepting Yugo's hand and allowing him to help pull him up. Yuto, meanwhile, was helping Yuya and Yuri, who had snapped out of it and felt incredibly guilty about it.

For now, they were going to confront Akaba Leo, the man behind this web of deceit, building an army of teenage soldiers, and conducting illegal genetic and medical experimentation on children, and using said children as weapons, and they were going to kick his ass.

* * *

 The four boys' glowing eyes did not help their comrades' aversion towards them in the slightest. These boys weren't part of the Lancers, and had seemingly no relation to any of the Akabas', but Reiji and Himika seemed to revel in some great secret after a hushed conversation with Yusho and Yoko. Little did the Lancers know, these boys might just be the most dangerous and effective people on their team.

They raided the throne room. This time, Leo Akaba was literally sitting in his throne of grandeur, legs crossed, and reading the most inconspicuous Sunday paper in the history of Sunday papers. The sheer ignorance on his face was ridiculous, but it was what he said that really set the four off. "Done with your daddy issues, then, boys?"

Yuya and Yuri were livid, and it was only Yugo and Yuto next to them that kept them from running up there and strangling the ever-living hell out of Leo. After all, this was the man that started all this, even the ~~incidents related to Zarc back in the United World~~  stuff from before any of them were born. Instead, the four turned on their Duel disks, inspiring Leo to do the same thing. At that moment, Verdana stepped into the corridor, Duel Disk already on, and said,  _"I suppose you four just couldn't stop yourselves. A shame, really, I wanted some time to make a grand and heroic monologue that exposed every bad thing Leo has done, even ~~Zarc~~. But I guess it can't be helped, can it? In accordance to Leo," _ she nodded at him,  _"I pay no heed to this. I shall go first."_ She decidedly turned off her weird italicized voice, therefore destroying the fourth wall and harnessing its power. She started. "Ore no turn! I, using the Scale 3 Entermate Gold Fang and the Scale 10 10-Sided Pendulum Dice, set the Pendulum Scale! Come forth, my monsters! Level 5, Royal Guard Captain Undyne![ATK-3000 DEF-2000] Level 4 Tuner Monster: Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus! Level 7, Royal Guard Former Queen Toriel! Mighty goat, king of monsters! Lead the people with determination! Come forth, Level 9, Royal Guard King Asgore!" That goat had a red trident. The other goat, Toriel, had fireballs in her palms. Verdana had a formidable lineup of four monsters. "I activate the Effect of Royal Guard Captain Undyne! Once per turn, I can change it's level by one! I make the Level 5 Captain Undyne a Level 4 monster! I tune the Level 4 Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus with the now Level 4 Royal Guard Captain Undyne!"

"Here it comes..."

"Sacred beast, with your luminous blue eyes, rain swift vengeance upon all who oppose you! Synchro Summon! Level 8, Skeletal Blaster Dragon!"(Big dragon but you already know what it's attack and defense are)

(Image not by me, image made by Sadowfox on DeviantArt, thanks Sadowfox, you did a great job with this image)


	18. Brief Intermission: Verdana's Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lol  
> also thanks to @ispikedthedrinks on tumblr for that amazing card art. Like my god they got it to a T. Seriously though, it's great.

So, uh, Verdana's Royal Guard cards are a bit speculation-worthy. They're pretty overpowered, except for one fatal weakness; if she doesn't have two or more on her field, she can't activate some of her defenses, and Skeletal Blaster Dragon doesn't count as a Royal Guard monster. She has fusion monsters in her Extra Deck, as well as Xyz's, and most of them are Rank 4, as well as having a different, 3-monster Synchro. Yeah... it's level 12. She needs at least 3 Level 4 monsters on the field, usually, since most of her deck is Level 4's for this purpose, and because of this, to summon one of the Ace Monsters of the Royal Guard set, you need to have quite a few level-changing effects in the deck. Undyne is a pretty reliable card, as well as having an Undyne-exclusive equip spell we might get to see in Ch. 18.

Because of this, the Dogs work well as a combo. You'll get to see what Annoying Dog does, and trust me, it's effect is worth it. It's effect is so worth it. And since the Royal Guard archetype doubles as a Phantom Knights strat archetype... there's a reason why Verdana allows herself to take damage, and she isn't pulling a Shun either. Oh, no, she's doing it all for her Extra Deck monsters' effects. That LP has to go  _somewhere_ when Verdana takes the damage. You'll see~ ;)

So, all in all, Verdana's deck is about getting the Dogs onto the field and setting up chains. Chains are pretty important, there's even two Royal Guard monsters all about Chaining. Their entire effect is to start a chain.

Also, you'll notice that Verdana used Slifer. She does have Slifer in there. It's because with Dogamy, Dogaressa, Annoying Dog, and Papyrus, you have 3 sacrifices and one left over. As well as this, Verdana has a Fusion card specifically for Royal Guard monsters, and 5 field spells. The fusion card is called Royal Guard Fusion (what a surprise) and beside fusing Royal Guard monsters, it is the only way to summon one of Verdana's ace fusion monsters. Now, with the ignore summoning conditions effect of Lesser Dog, it's definitely one of the key points of the deck, as shown by the luckiest draw in the world when Verdana was able to summon Slifer with 6 cards in her hand. Nice going, Verdana.

So the field spells are what you'd expect: we have Snowdin Forest, Waterfall Caverns, and Magma Chambers representing the main 3 locations of Undertale. Alongside those three are the two others; King's Garden and Dream Arena. So here's a list of the field spells' effects:

  * Snowdin Forest: All EARTH, WIND, and LIGHT attribute monsters gain 300 ATK, and 1000 ATK when battling an opponent stronger than itself.
  * Waterfall Caverns: All WATER attribute Monsters gain 300 ATK. All FIRE attribute monsters lose 500 ATK.
  * Magma Chambers: All FIRE attribute monsters gain 600 ATK. All WATER attribute monsters cannot attack the turn they are summoned.
  * King's Garden: All EARTH attribute monsters gain 800 ATK. All monsters with a Level lower than 6 cannot attack.
  * Dream Arena: All effects, except those of Royal Guard monsters, are negated.



Other than the field spells, Verdana also has some other spells:

  * Captain's Spear (Equip Spell): Can only be equipped to a monster with the name "Royal Guard Captain Undyne". Increases the ATK of the equipped monster by it's Level/Rank x 300.
  * Delta Rune: Add one "Determination" from your deck to your hand. When this card is in your Graveyard, except the turn it is sent there, remove from play one opposing monster.
  * Determination (Equip Spell): Can only be equipped to a monster with the name "Frisk" or "Chara". When equipped to Frisk, shift the monster into DEF position and increase the DEF points of the equipped monster by 300 for every turn it is equipped. When equipped to Chara, the equipped monster is shifted into ATK position and cannot be shifted into DEF position. The equipped monster gains 300 ATK for every turn it is equipped.
  * King's Tea: Gain 1500 LP when a "Royal Guard King Asgore" is on the field. If no "Royal Guard King Asgore"s are on the field, gain 1000 LP.
  * King's Armor(Equip Spell): Can only be equipped to "Royal Guard King Asgore". Increase the equipped monster's DEF by 700.
  * Royal Guard Assembly(Continuous Spell): Add 2 Royal Guard Tokens (EARTH Beast-Type ATK-500 DEF-1000 Level 1) to your field. They can only be tributed if the Tribute Summoned monster is a Royal Guard monster. If a Royal Guard token is destroyed, deal the damage to the attacking player's life points.
  * Match Met(Tag Spell): Tag every opponent whose LP is under 3000. If you are the only player who controls monsters, deal damage to their LP equal to the ATK points of the monster with the lowest ATK on your field. In the Standby Phase of your turn, summon one Tag Token onto each of the tagged opponents' fields. If their fields are full, subtract 200 from their LP. During the Standby Phase of your next turn, deal 600 damage to each tagged opponent times the number of Tag Tokens on the field. If no Tag Tokens remain on the field during your next Standby Phase, take 100 points of damage.
  * Rewound Time (Quick-Play Spell): Play the last used Spell or Trap once again.



Those are just a few, we can get into more later. For now, here's some card art for you all.

[Card Art Here!](http://ispikedthedrinks.tumblr.com/post/155199569838/card-art-for-brothers-of-war-over-on-ao3-it-was)

The Spells:

[Part 1](http://ispikedthedrinks.tumblr.com/post/155228446698/round-2-of-brothers-of-war-card-art-i-had-to)

[Part 2](http://ispikedthedrinks.tumblr.com/post/155228513398/round-3-of-brothers-of-war-card-art-these-are-the)

Card art provided by @ispikedthedrinks on tumblr. (That's who Verdana is, if you're wondering. They're a fourth-wall breaking cameo for a close friend.) Granted, they didn't do every card, but hey, it's because I didn't release them yet. Not even they knew what was coming.

So now, the spells have been done as well. Huge thanks to them for doing these.


	19. Verdana's Duel Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is said that some cards possess a Duel Spirit; a spiritual companion of sorts for the card's wielder.

"Now, I play the Spell Card Monster Reborn! I bring back the once again Level 5 Captain Undyne. Then, I play Rewound Time, allowing me to use the Monster Reborn I just played! Return from the grave, Sentry Papyrus! Now, I sacrifice Sentry Papyrus to summon Royal Guard Greater Dog! I Overlay my Royal Guard Captain Undyne and Royal Guard Greater Dog! Great claws of the strongest ice, tear apart our foes with the brutal winds of vengeance! Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Come forth, Hailstorm Dragon! [ATK-2500 DEF-2000] I now activate Hailstorm Dragon's effect! By using all Overlay Units, once per turn, I can deal damage equal to the ATK of every monster on the field, including this one! I deal 4200 damage to you, Leo! Piercing Shards of Ice!" She won. A one-turn kill, on the first turn. Leo actually couldn't do anything. He had a bad hand. Everyone else was shocked. She deactivated her duel disk, terminating the duel, and said, "Sorry you couldn't get your revenge yourself, boys, but I hope you're satisfied with seeing more of my monsters. Especially Hailstorm, he's been waiting a long time."

They were satisfied, and Reiji later approached Verdana. "You have Synchro, Pendulum, and Xyz..."

"Yes, you are correct."

"Do you have Fusion too?"

"Yes, I do."

"May I see one of your Fusion Monsters?"

"Sure." She pulled out her Extra Deck, showing him one of her Fusion monsters.

 

"So... it's Heavenly Justice Dragon, in other words?"

"Yes."

"It's effect seems very powerful."

"It doesn't work if it's removed from play, otherwise it works wonders."

 

He changed the subject, "So if Jinchuu Dragon is your Fusion Dragon, Hailstorm Dragon is your Xyz Dragon, and Skeletal Blaster Dragon is your Synchro Dragon, what do you have as a standard dragon?"

"Well, as they say, show don't tell, right?" She pulled out her deck and showed him her other dragon.

"Can I see your Hailstorm Dragon card?"

"Here, take a look."

"Huh. Are these one-of-a-kind, similar to those four's dragons?"

"Yes, they are. By the way, Reiji, have you ever heard of Duel Spirits?"

"Yes, though I haven't seen one in years."

"Well, my deck's full of 'em."

"...You're kidding."

"Nope! They'd probably wave if they could, though. Here, take a peek." She searched her deck and pulled out four cards, showing them to Reiji.

"So these four cards are Duel Spirits?"

"Yes. Do you have one?"

"No, but I do know of someone who does."

 


	20. Explain, Mun

So in Chapter 18 we got some juicy info on more of Verdana's deck... and as it turns out, she's got Dragons too, as well as four Spirit cards. The Spirit cards I knew everyone was expecting, you don't make an Undertale-themed deck without at least Sans or Frisk, but I threw Chara and Gaster in there too, because why not, right? Anyway, you probably weren't expecting the Dragons. Since the four boys all get weird Were-Dragon traits, as well as the Zarc thing (which I'll deal with later), I figured Verdana needs some Dragons. Besides, ispikedthedrinks requested this themselves, even doing all the card work. They're a huge help, and I could not be more grateful for it.

So, back to the Dragons. We still have a Standard, Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz dragon, and like how all the Yu-Dragons are DARK attribute except Clear Wing, which is WIND, all of Verdana's Dragons are LIGHT attribute, except Hailstorm, which is also WIND. Hailstorm could've also been LIGHT too, but eh, we needed the oddball there. Besides, it's purple. You people are satisfied with purple, right?

Um, anyway, you'll notice the Dragons are all Level 8, with the exception of the Rank 5 Hailstorm, and this is because 8 is a sideways infinity symbol. You'll get it once we delve into  _why_ these dragons exist.

So with the images of the four dragons finally here, we can see that these beasts' effects are meant to absorb damage while getting things onto the field. Like the rest of Verdana's deck, the Dragons are designed to keep Jinchuu in the safety of the Extra Deck while the other three dish out rapidfire damage with their effects. Once Hailstorm uses it's effect, Verdana has a special Equip Spell called Price of Power that allows it to attack twice while negating it's effect. Once it uses its' effect it can't use it again due to those pesky Overlay Units, so Verdana found a way around that.

Anyway, for those who want all the Dragons to be shown together... here.

And there's your dragons.

So, in the last intermission, I mentioned Verdana having a Level 12 3-monster Synchro. It's... not actually a Synchro. Or a 3-monster Synchro, for that matter. But it is Level 12, so... also it's not Ultimaya Tzolkin, that's a Synchro. And it's not Zarc... now why would her ace monster be Zarc? Oh no no.... it's much better. You'll see it when it's needed. You see, Verdana tends to only use it when there's no other choice.


	21. Yutaro, Wielder of Contrast Tiger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiji takes Verdana to meet Yutaro, a man in possession of a Spirit card, Contrast Tiger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry that this chapter is so short, I just made it to introduce Contrast Tiger. We're probably never going to see Yutaro again.

"So, Ms. Verdana, you possess... 4 Spirit cards."

"That is correct."

"May I see them?" She showed Yutaro Sans, Frisk, Chara, and Gaster.

"These are even from an archetype I've never heard of..." She put them back into her deck.

"That's because it's my archetype."

They sat down in the chairs. Yutaro pulled out his Spirit card.

"This is a nice card you have here."

"Thanks! Yours are nice too."

"Well, thank you for letting me see your card," she said, and left.


	22. Things Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [insert summary here]

Leo started Arc-V after Verdana and the others had left. In conclusion, Leo is the ultimate troll.

So when the dimension started to warp and stuff, Verdana immediately rushed off to Academia. "Leo! What are you doing!?"

"Resurrecting my daughter."

"Leo...!"

"What?" He did not turn fast enough and got tackled by Verdana, whose hands worked away at hacking the Arc-V system to force a shut-down. She succeeded, as she had pinned Leo down with her foot and held firm. She removed her foot from his chest and pushed him away from the control panel, before the machine started again. The unnamed computer guy who had informed Leo of Arc-V's progress beforehand popped up on the holo-screen, saying, "Sir! The machine is malfunctioning! After being shut down, it came back online on it's own!"

"...What?" Leo questioned, while Verdana stood still and rigid, staring into the green light of the Arc-V machine. Leo was confused. What was she staring at?

She continued to stare, before her eyes widened and she clutched at her chest. "...Verdana...?" Leo said to her. Rivalries and opposing sides be damned, he needed to help this poor girl. He knew that Verdana was aware of him being from the United World, so surely she was from there herself. Was she...? No, she couldn't be.Verdana couldn't possibly be Ray.  But at the same time, Leo didn't remember meeting a Duelist named- wait. He remembered now. She was Zarc's last opponent before he had accidentally hurt someone during a duel. But she hadn't had any of those dragons then... how did she survive Zarc's rampage?

Verdana knew this feeling, this was how she felt when Zarc had first fused into the Supreme Dragon King. Just why did it feel this way...?


	23. Infinity Ring Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alongside the legends of the Ancient World and the Supreme Dragon King, a certain story of how the dragons Zarc possessed came to exist, and four other dragons that fought alongside them.

Leo recalled the legend of the Infinity Ring, a mystic artifact said to only be reachable by those whose intentions were just and their hearts were pure. If someone succumbed to greed or envy in the face of the Ring, it would tell them to banish such thoughts from their mind and only think of the Ring as a tool for good. One day, two people whose hearts were pure approached the ring. The ring created a Link between the two souls, forever intertwining their destinies forevermore. Those two were Ray and Zarc, two children who had matured surprisingly quickly despite their age.

One day, though, the Ring sensed an event would occur soon, an event that would lead to devastation and chaos, and did everything in it's power to create a being known simply as Arc-V. This being was pure, but human; it was malleable. This being adopted the name Verdana and took on a human form, making their way through every opponent using the Royal Guard deck, a symbol of justice and equality. They had won the duel, but in the duel after theirs, Zarc's opponent was injured. The ring sensed Zarc's mind bend to the will of the impure and unjust, and sent an omen of hope to Zarc through Verdana; she cared for him like a sibling, giving him someone to talk to. He had kept it all in due to wanting to protect Ray, and he had become unstable.

When he had fused into the Supreme Dragon King, the Ring cracked and Verdana, the physical embodiment of the Ring's pure energy, felt damage done to the ring take a toll on her own body. Assisting Leo from the shadows, she poured some of the Ring's energy into the four cards of Nature. The Ring's energy had formed the Bracelets, a symbol of Zarc and Ray's linked destiny; even split into four people each, and having no memory of their past life, their new lives would be sure to intertwine.

Leo gazed upon Verdana with a new sense of familiarity as he realized she was the Spirit of the Ring, and the United World's rebirth had caused the ring to begin reforming. She knew this, and no longer was in pain as a familiar strength returned to her.

It was then Leo remembered what Zarc had said when the Dragons had first come to him;  _"There were in fact 8 dragons, but the other four had chosen someone else as their master. I am sure I will meet them someday, as these Dragons are connected and will cause our destinies to intertwine, like mine and Ray's did."_ And if Zarc's dragons had formed into a new beast, one whose powers rivaled a god, and there were in fact 8 dragons, it would mean... the Infinity Ring had broken into 8 and bestowed half to the soul of Zarc, and the other half to the Spirit of the RIng itself, Verdana. Therefore, if all eight dragons were to combine... it would resurrect the Infinity Ring Dragon.

Verdana realized that though the Ring had started to reform, it was nothing but an empty shell. It had been drained of it's power when it had split into eight pieces and bestowed itself to it's protectors. She would do her best to prevent the Ring from ever being restored; if the Ring was restored, the Dragons would unite and no longer exist as separate individuals, and the Yu-Boys would experience the same thing. She did not want to repeat history; as much as she wanted to restore the Ring, she couldn't; the whole world would be at stake, and she would no longer be able to bestow divine energy unto the four cards of Nature to assist Ray in defeating Zarc. She would not repeat history for so many more lives to be taken.

* * *

_The Dragons called out to Verdana, trying their best to show they agreed with her. They had developed their own sense of individuality; even as the Infinity Ring Dragon they had always been split into eight. They were happy to finally be themselves, and did not want to be united again. Infinite divine power be damned, they wanted their own bodies. They had grown used to them by now._


	24. An Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egao and fireworks. They finally go stargazing with no interruptions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so indecisive on what I wanted to do next, so I ended it with this. Sorry for making you wait for such a short thing, but I tried my best to make it enjoyable and satisfying. Thank you for reading, I was utterly shocked by how much praise you gave. And here I am, being humble about it, like I always have. Thank you... all of you. Without you, this would have never come to light.

The dragons did things. The Arc-V machine was forcefully terminated by a conveniently invisible force. Happy endings abound.

Tonight, Yusho, Yoko, Yuya, Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri all watched the stars together, pointing out constellations to one another. Then, from around the Leo tower, fireworks lit up the night sky as a celebration was held for the end of the dimensional war. Heart-shaped ones quickly enraptured attention as a symbol of the conscious effort being put into Heartland's reconstruction. Billions' worth of donations poured into the Heartland Reconstruction Fundraiser from Maiami alone, and the rest of the world (in Standard that is) provided the Leo corporation with more than enough to finish construction within a few years. Soon, they would fill the Xyz dimension with arrays of lights and restore its former beauty. The fireworks instilled hope for the future and promises of hopefully long-lasting peace, throughout all the dimensions.

Meanwhile, Verdana stood on a cliff on the outskirts of the city, one known for its impressive view of the Leo tower and the infamous Maiami sunset, one of the more well-known tourist attractions. She watched the fireworks and smiled, a genuine, warm smile that would have made anyone who knew Verdana for a long time cheer, because that particular smile hadn't been seen on her face since she had won the duel against Zarc; then, they had both went all out, and both duelists had enjoyed it, playing like it was just another match to add to a long-standing total. As if they were old friends playing for the millionth time, and just there to have fun. Yeah, they could be serious, but you have to enjoy it to get the full experience.  _That_ was, and always would be, the true purpose of Dueling. "Egao," she whispered, and snickered. It had been forever since she heard that word come out of her mouth.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits:  
> Author: ViableSourceMaterial  
> Main Idea: ViableSourceMaterial  
> Arc-V: Shin Yoshida  
> Verdana: @ispikedthedrinks on tumblr  
> Card Art: @ispikedthedrinks on tumblr
> 
> ...and of course, the one whose support held all of this together, the most important member of this project...  
> You, the reader.  
> Your support is invaluable and irreplacable. You are the glue of this fic, binding all the words together. Without you, this fic would mean nothing.


	25. WHAT.

What. Well, as a reward for 1000 hits, since you people apparently like this, let me give you some leaks of a new archetype I've been designing.

[Juicy Juicy Leaks](http://ispikedthedrinks.tumblr.com/post/156009474338/yep-the-dragon-of-memories-archetype-these)

And your second reward...

A list of my irl deck! Fun, right? Yeah, I'm not just some fic-writing trash. I do collect, though I usually don't duel. If I can't use an archetype I feel more comfortable with than my own irl deck, might as well wait and build up the deck to what I'm more comfortable with. Maybe one day the Royal Guard archetype or the [SPOILER] archetype will become a real TCG archetype and I can run it. And that will be the day I make history. Happiness for all! Egao, damn you, egao!

So, here we go. Keep in mind that I thoroughly shuffled my deck beforehand and will be listing in the order I draw. Extra Deck cards will be separate from the rest of the list.

  * Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon
  * Slifer the Sky Dragon
  * Battleguard King
  * Punch-In-The-Box
  * Shaddoll Core
  * Skilled Dark Magician
  * Artifact Achilleshield
  * Pendulum Shift
  * Swordsman of Revealing Light
  * Performapal Friendonkey
  * Performapal Call
  * Inspiration
  * Shield Crush
  * Blustering Winds
  * Spirit of the Harp
  * Dark Blade
  * Al-Lumi'Raj
  * Al-Lumi'Raj
  * Threatening Roar
  * Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer
  * Sakuretsu Armor
  * Pendulum Reborn
  * Graceful Charity
  * Dragonox, the Empowered Warrior
  * Xiangke Magician
  * Newdoria
  * Performapal Springoose
  * Gyroid
  * Dark Magician
  * Enemy Controller
  * Performapal Bowhopper
  * Lindbloom
  * Majesty's Fiend
  * Soul Taker
  * Summoned Skull
  * Chain Dispel
  * Performapal Trampolynx
  * Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius
  * Harmonic Oscillation
  * Dark Magician



Yeah... it's a mess. Well, if you want to help me out, please, please, please tell me what I should add and remove. I really want to get a decent Odd-Eyes/Performapal but I don't know what to put in.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! The Extra Deck!

  * Ebon High Magician
  * Clear Wing Synchro Dragon
  * Samsara, Dragon of Rebirth
  * Cloudcastle



Sorry about that. Please do lend me your assistance if you can.

And again, thank you SO much for all your wonderful support! I hope you enjoy the rest of my works!


	26. Turn your head.

Tick, tock.

Tick, tock.

Tick, tock,

tick, tock.

Ruby eyes glimmering with the reflection of the flames.

Euphoria granted by the scent of an orange.

Wrens taking to the air when startled.

Revenge for all of the fallen.

Ideals ripped away and held far above anywhere reachable.

Ticking clocks in an airplane.

Endless night and winter.

Tick. Tock.


End file.
